18-05-2025
Outrage in Greece after 'Adidas advert' appears to show drone shoe 'booting' the Acropolis - as Greek government vows to take 'legal action'
The Greek government has filed a lawsuit after a drone show seemingly advertising Adidas appeared over the Acropolis on Friday.
Illuminated drones appeared to form a branded shoe which 'kicked' the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Athens, Greece.
Images plastered across social media also show the drones assembling to illustrate the instantly recognisable logo of the German-born sports retailer - as well as the words 'Feel Fast'.
The Acropolis, a rocky outcrop over Athens, houses the Parthenon Temple - a symbol of Athens' Golden age that was built in 432 B.C. to honour the goddess Athena, and is one of the most visited sites worldwide.
Greece's Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said in an interview on Friday that the show used the sacred site for commercial purposes without the permission of the Culture Ministry.
She argued that it went against a national law for the protection of antiquities.
According to the Constitution of Greece, 'the protection of the natural and cultural environment constitutes a duty of the State and a right of every person'. The main legislation governing the protection of cultural heritage is Law 3028/2002.
'It's like the Adidas shoe kicking the Acropolis,' Mendoni told local Skai radio. 'A lawsuit has been already filed against anyone responsible.'
The drones also appeared to form the words 'Feel Fast'. Adidas said 'all required permits were received and adhered to'
Infuriated residents of Athens took to social media to express their outrage at the insensitive advert.
'The sacred hill of acropolis is being used to promote Adidas,' one wrote on X/Twitter as they called for a boycott of the sports brand. 'This should be illegal.'
A second chimed in: 'They don't respect Acropolis.'
To which a third replied: 'Shoe over Acropolis - you have to be particularly culturally insensitive, uncreative and money-fuelled to pull this off.'
In disbelief, another questioned: 'Using the Acropolis as a billboard? Adidas just projected drones over one of humanity's most sacred heritage sites — for a shoe ad.
'This isn't innovation. It's vandalism out of scale,' they added.
Adidas said 'all required permits were received and adhered to'.
'No image of the Acropolis monument was used by Adidas for advertising or other purposes,' the company said in an emailed statement.
Infuriated residents of Athens took to social media to express their outrage at the insensitive advert
The culture ministry said it was also investigating whether the licensing procedure for the drone overflight had been followed.
The move comes weeks after Greece dismissed a request by director Yorgos Lathimos to film scenes of his upcoming 'Bugonia' movies on the Acropolis hill on the grounds they were incompatible with what the ancient Greek monument symbolised.
